Jewish Fusion

Long ago, I concluded that the best recipes are almost always simple recipes. If it takes more than a single page to provide cooking instructions, then I usually take a pass. When it comes to Chinese recipes, simplicity is essential. I like to stick to recipes of no more than 3 primary ingredients. In the case of this orange beef recipe, they are the beef, the green onions, and the orange peel. In that way, the ingredients remain distinctive. Except for the time required for marinating the beef, the actual cooking time is very, very brief.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds skirt steak, sliced into
  ¼ inch-thick strips
  2/3 cup plus 3 Tablespoons water
  ½ teaspoon baking soda
  3 Tablespoons dry Sherry
  1 egg white
  3 ½ Tablespoon cornstarch
  2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  2 green onions, cut into ½ inch lengths (about 1/3 cup)
  3 Tablespoons dried orange peel*
  3 thin slices fresh ginger, chopped
  1 long, thin fresh hot red pepper (optional), chopped
  ¼ cup chicken broth
  3 Tablespoons light soy sauce
  2 Tablespoons sugar
  1 teaspoon sesame oil
  4 cups oil
  10 small dried hot red peppers, or to taste

Directions:

• Place beef in bowl.
  Combine 2/3 cup water with baking soda and pour over beef.
  Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
  Rinse beef thoroughly under cold running water. Drain well and pat dry.
  Transfer to dry bowl.
  Add 1 Tablespoon wine and egg white and stir briskly, using circular motion, until egg white is foamy.
  Add 1½ Tablespoons cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons oil.
  Combine green onions, dried orange peel, ginger and fresh red pepper in small bowl. Combine remaining 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and remaining 3 Tablespoons water in small bowl.
  Add remaining 2 Tablespoons wine.
  Blend in chicken broth, light soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil.
  Heat remaining 4 cups oil in wok or heavy large skillet over high heat until almost smoking.
  Add beef and cook about 45 seconds, stirring constantly.
  Remove beef with slotted spoon and drain (do not turn off heat).
  Return meat to wok and cook 15 seconds, stirring. Drain again.
  Return meat to wok and cook 15 seconds, stirring. Drain well. (Repeated cooking will make meat crisp outside and juicy inside.)
  Drain all but 2 tablespoons oil from wok.
  Restore wok to high heat and add hot peppers, stirring until almost black, about 30 seconds.
  Remove peppers with slotted spoon and discard.
  Add green onion mixture to wok and stir briefly.
  Add beef and cook, stirring constantly about 10 seconds.
  Add wine mixture and stir until meat is well coated and piping hot, about 15 seconds. Turn into dish and serve immediately.

*For dried orange peel, remove peel of 1 orange, scraping all white pith form inside. Cut peel into 1-inch squares. Arrange on baking sheet. Let stand in warm place until peel is thoroughly dried, about 24 hours. Store in tightly covered container.

For those a little weary of traditional chicken soup, here is a Middle Eastern variation that is sure to bring a smile to your guests’ faces. It has a few surprises.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups clear chicken stock or broth
  2 cups diced cooked chicken
  1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
  1/3 cup green bell pepper, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
  3 Tablespoons fresh chopped dill
  3 cups cooked Israeli couscous (sometimes called pearl couscous)
  1 Tablespoon unsweetened cinnamon
  Salt to taste
  ¼ teaspoon pepper
  Fresh lime

Directions:

• Combine all the ingredients, except the lime in a large stockpot, and stir well.
  Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
  Squeeze 2 teaspoons of lime juice into each bowl before serving and garnish each portion with a slice of lime.

Here we have the traditional Chanukah snack, potato pancakes, made with lots of extra zip. Let’s face it—potato pancakes usually derive their flavor from being fried in oil. These latkes have plenty of added flavor; they are fused with Cajun seasonings. This is an inspired combination thanks to Chef Paul Prudhomme. For those who may not wish to combine all the spices, Chef Prudhomme’s Cajun spices are available in most supermarkets, under the “K Paul” brand name.

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes, peeled
  1 large onion, peeled
  1 egg
  2 Tablespoons matzah meal
  1 cup vegetable oil

Seasonings:

• 1 teaspoon salt
  1 teaspoon sugar
  3/4 teaspoon white pepper
  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

• Combine the seasonings mix ingredients in a small bowl.
  Using the shredding disk in a food processor, shred the potatoes.
  Remove the shredded potatoes, and place them in a colander, then rinse with cold water.
  Squeeze as much water as possible out of the shredded potatoes.
  Using the normal chopping blade, coarsely chop the shredded potato shreds
  Remove the chopped potatoes.
  Using the chopping blade, finely chop the onion, but not the the point ot it becoming watery.
  In a large bowl, mix together the onion and the potatoes
  Add the eggs, matzah meal, and 2 Tablespoons of the seasoning mix, and whisk the ingredients vigorously.
  Heat the oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat.
  When the oil is very hot, carefully drop in large spoonfuls of the latke mixture, being careful not to crowd the skillet.
  Fry about 3 minutes, turning once or twice, until browned on both sides.
  Watch the frying closely. If the oil is too hot, the latkes will brown too quickly and burn. If it seems as if the latkes are browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium.

Inspired by Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Seasoned America

Unlike in the U.S., in South Africa lamb and mutton are the most popular and widely cooked meats. I think this is the most popular curry dish in South Africa. It is important to use fresh curry powder.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  2 large onions, finely chopped
  1 bay leaf
  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  1 teaspoon ground coriander
  ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  2 cloves garlic, crushed
  1 ½ Tablespoons curry powder
  2 Tablespoons cake flour
  1 teaspoon turmeric
  3 pounds lamb, trimmed of excess fat and cubed
  1 pound medium tomatoes, skinned and chopped
  6 to 8 dried peaches or apricots, finely chopped
  30 ml fruit chutney
  2 Tablespoons beef boullion
  1 teaspoon white vinegar
  2 teaspoons salt
  fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes, or until transparent.
  Add the bay leaf, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, garlic, curry powder, flour and turmeric and simmer for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
  Add the meat and brown lightly, adding a little more oil if necessary.
  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
  Simmer over moderate heat for 1 hour.
  Serve immediately with basmati rice and bowls of sliced banana, dried coconut, diced pineapple and chutney.